Fireteam Blackheart
The Fireteam Blackheart is a fireteam pledged in service to the Kingdom of Anglecynn. Juniper encounters them while they are in the process of retrieving Sorian's Castle's Teleportation Key on Larkspur Prentiss' orders, using Fenn Greenglass as a guide. They were ordered to kill Amaryllis Penndraig if they found her, as a secondary mission once the Fuchsia Coterie failed to do so. “This mission is getting increasingly fucked. ... If you have two objectives that need to be accomplished, you don’t just spread a below-strength team thin and hope they can do both, you prioritize and pick the one that might actually be accomplished.” :—Tova Feidlimid, Chapter 12: "Life of the Party" Members Brownsnout Quills-in-Hand The blade-bound leader of the fireteam, a porcupine animalia. He dresses in robes and carries a long, thin katana. Quills is a well-spoken man and a competent leader, sarcastic on occasion, though wholly focused on his mission. Inge Carter The meatshield of the group, a kashoonk man in full plate armor with a large, finely-machined pistol and an immense shield. He's soul-linked to the rest of the group, taking their hits. Carter's nearly seven foot tall and hairless, with blue skin. Tova Feidlimid The healer and bone mage of the group. She's a human wearing tight-fitting red robes, with bones strapped to her in bandoliers. Tova's an intimidating and somewhat abrasive woman, though that might have been because of the pressure she was under. Leonold Pavran The tattoo mage of the group. He's a bald human, nearly naked and covered in tattoos. Leonold is a suspicious and ruthless man. History Juniper Smith met Fenn Greenglass, the guide of the fireteam, shortly before reaching Sorian's Castle, where she offered letting him travel with them. Fenn quickly introduced Juniper to them under the pretense of the team being looters. Juniper thought of them as a classic adventuring party, with Quills being the damage dealer, Carter being their tank, and two mages for healing and utility, Tova and Leonold. Quills was initially wary of Juniper and interrogated him on the subject of his friend Amaryllis. Juniper managed to turn the situation on his favor, making a deal for protection in exchange for information and potential diplomacy. Quills agreed to the deal, but had Leonold place the Fool's Choker around Juniper's neck as a guarantee. The fireteam, Fenn and Juniper made their way up the castle, disposing of the undead as they encountered them, but they were quickly overrun. Leonold was forced to put them under a time out of sorts, a tattoo that let them rest and talk while outside of time. Tova heals Carter, and Juniper mentions Amaryllis is likely to be on the twenty-first floor. After the team exits the time out, Juniper begins to plan on how to get rid of them, finally suggesting an ambitious plan involving elevators. The team puts Juniper's plan into motion, Leonold warning Juniper he'll kill him if he fucks it up. As they're launched by the counterweight of the elevator, grabbing onto a rope, Leonold casts the Prince's Invulnerability to protect them from damage, but the spell runs out after six seconds pass. Juniper snaps Tova's rope, killing her and the soul-linked Carter in the process. Once they get up, Leonold is suspicious of Juniper, but Fenn kills him by stabbing his head. Fenn runs away, but as Quills and Juniper run after her they finally encounter Amaryllis. They have a showdown after diplomacy fails between Quills and Amaryllis, culminating in Quills using Juniper as a hostage, thinking he can handle Fenn on his own. He's wrong, and Fenn shoots her bow's arrow barrage, instantly killing Quills and putting an end to Fireteam Blackheart.